Ali Khan

Ali Khan's Bio

Ali Khan is a natural-born glutton whose passion for food began as soon as he was tall enough to ditch his highchair and commence eating out at fine-dining establishments, developing a palate at age 6 that could rival that of a 60-year-old. Being the child of South Asian immigrants, Ali learned early on that exotic food to some is comfort food to others, and he has been "eating fearlessly" since day one, embracing new cuisines and cultures along the way. It was inevitable that this passion for food would shape his professional career, and for those who knew him well, it came as no surprise that he would be named the senior editor of BlackBook magazine's Los Angeles Dining and Nightlife Guide at age 26. With online media taking center stage, Ali lent his writing skills to lifestyle sites such as Urban Daddy and L.A. Taco, and he became a regular contributor to You Gotta Eat This. In that time he launched two successful series: Sandwich Spotting Los Angeles and Bang for your Burger Buck. The latter launched in 2015 as a standalone blog covering burgers nationwide.

Ali is also a performer, trained in the theatrical arts at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Southern California, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in theater studies. His passion for performance and all things epicurean eventually led him to Food Network, where he made appearances on Grill It! with Bobby Flay and The Best Thing I Ever Made. His producer credits include Food Network's $24 in 24 and Thanksgiving Live, and he helped develop projects for Jeff Mauro, Alton Brown and Simon Majumdar. Ali has also worked with the food-focused digital media company Tastemade, where he shot, edited and hosted his own food shows under the handle @blackbookali.

As the host of Cheap Eats, Ali is right at home taking audiences on a budget-friendly culinary tour of America, highlighting spots almost anyone can afford. His proudest moment may have been when he weaned his son off the bottle and onto prosciutto and salmon sashimi. When he's not cruising the country for Cheap Eats, Ali resides with his wife and son in one of the hottest food cities in the world: Austin.